Triangle Pediatric Dentistry

This blog is intended to educate and make readers a little more informed about topics related to pediatric dentistry. All of the information contained here should be considered to be my opinion only and you may find others that have opinions that differ from mine. I will discuss topics in broad terms and the information should not be taken as a diagnosis or treatment recommendation for any condition that your child may have. If you have a specific question about a dental condition that your child may have then you should discuss it directly during an office visit with a pediatric dentist. -Dr. Buddy

Juice . . Enemy #1

July 09 2010

I’d like to just write a little bit about one of a Pediatric Dentist’s top enemies . . . . JUICE! Juice (even 100% natural juice) is high in sugar and is probably the leading cause of cavities that we see in our office. Even if “watered down”, frequent consumption of juice can still cause cavities. We recommend that children only have one small 6 oz cup of juice a day if any at all. Juice should be consumed with a meal or with a snack to help buffer the sugar intake.

Juice is the most dangerous for causing cavities when a child is sipping on it throughout the day in a bottle or sippie cup. This gives the dangerous combination of too much total sugar consumption as well as a high frequency of sugar consumption. Even if children are sipping on watered down juice throughout the day the frequency of sugar consumption is way too much. They are getting less total sugar but are constantly “bathing” their teeth with sugar. It is also very important that children are not allowed to drink juice (or any drink besides water) after they have brushed their teeth at night and most importantly are not allowed to sleep with a bottle or sippie cup containing juice (or any drink other than water).

So what is it about juice that makes it such a hidden danger for children’s teeth? To start, juice contains a lot of sugar! One 6 oz Mott’s for tots reduced sugar apple juice box has 13 grams of sugar (kids should only have 20-40 grams of added sugar depending on age and activity level). An 8 oz serving of juicy juice apple juice contains 26 grams of sugar. These amounts of sugar aren’t that different than what you find in a similar portion of Coca-Cola (39 grams in a 12 oz can). The bacteria in the mouth use this sugar as a fuel source for creating acid that eats away at teeth and can ultimately cause cavities. In addition to having a lot of sugar, juice is also acidic. Apple juice has a pH ranging from 3.5-4 which is very similar to many soft drinks. The acidity of juice can erode the enamel on teeth which cand lead to cavity formation.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that the maximum amount of juice that children should have is only one 6oz serving of juice a day (about the size of 1 juice box). Try substituting more fruits instead of fruit juices into your child’s diet as an alternative. So, a little juice here and there is not that bad but it is important to try not to make juice a staple of your child’s diet. If you can keep juice from becoming a daily component of your child’s diet then they will have a much lower risk of developing cavities!

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